As local governments and civil authorities stress on the implementation of green building standards, the demand grows for green building material including green roofs.

Concern about the need for sustainable development in the construction industry has fuelled a drive to align the industry to green building standards, said Hardware+Tools Middle East 2011 (May 10-12, Dubai) organiser Epoc Messe Frankfurt.

This perceptible shift in the construction industry is expected to be reflected at Hardware+Tools Middle East 2011 – the only dedicated trade event for the hardware, tools, machinery and construction material in
the region.

Growing market
According to recent research, the global market for green building material is expected to be worth $406 billion by 2015, driven largely by environmental consciousness, high energy costs and the understanding that green buildings contribute to long-term benefits such as improved efficiency, cost savings and higher production. As costs of green building materials drop, they are becoming increasingly popular the world over.

“The push to conform to global best practices in sustainable real estate development is gathering pace in the Middle East,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Epoc Messe Frankfurt. “As construction majors look to decrease their carbon footprint and adopt environmentally-friendly building methods, the demand for green building material is quickly gathering pace,” he added.

Governments around the region are enacting legislation to bring the industry into line with green building standards. 

Estidama introduced
Abu Dhabi rolled out the Arab world’s first specialised green building rating system, Estidama. All new development in the emirate must comply with the standards set by the system, including commercial and government projects. Dubai too has been driving change through increasing implementation of Leed standards across the construction industry.

Green roofs is one of the largest and fastest emerging product categories currently. The practice of planted green roofs is gaining momentum across the industry and is given a strong push by local authorities who are spearheading initiatives to increase the number of green roof projects in the region.  This trend towards green roofs will be reflected at Garden+Landscaping Middle East, co-located with Hardware+Tools Middle East due to shared synergies in visitor profiles.

Hardware+Tools and Garden+Landscaping Middle East 2011 will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Some of the major sections covered at the trade exhibition are Machinery, Tools, Construction & Building Materials and Hardware.